At UN, Arab Commission for Human
Rights Out for Year in 18-0-1 Vote, Member List Demanded

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of
Inner City Press at the UN: News Analysis

UNITED
NATIONS, January 28 --
Algeria's terrorism complaint against Rachid Mesli, the human rights
advocate
who spoke for the non-governmental organization Arab Commission for
Human
Rights at the UN in Geneva last June, resulted on Wednesday in the
group's
suspension from the UN for one year. Click here
for previous coverage by Inner
City Press.

By
a vote of 18 in favor and one abstaining, the group will also be
required to turn over a list of all of its "members and associates"
before it can be considered for reinstatement. We hope this sets an
example,
Algeria's representative said after the debate and vote, in the ECOSOC
Committee on NGOs. But what sort of example does it set?

Mesli has been granted refugee status in
Switzerland. He was accused of
terrorism in 1999, in a trial criticized by Amnesty International. Most
countries on the UN's Committee on NGOs said that a conviction in any
member
state is enough to establish guilt. While neither Algeria nor the UN's
head
staffer for the Committee, Hanifa Mezoui, would agree to release to the
Press
any part of the complaint, Inner City Press
obtained a copy of Algeria's
January 14 letter and attachments, and puts them online here. Egypt
called this
the product of "a competent court whose verdict is unquestionable."

Egypt ultimately made the proposal
that a
list of all members and associates be provided. The U.S. said it did
not oppose
such forced disclosure, but wanted more evidence of Mesli's guilt. The
US agreed
that the Arab Commission for Human Rights should be sanctioned for
allowing
Rachid Mesli of the separate, unaccredited group Alkarama, to testify
in its
place.

The United Kingdom, which had initially expressed reservations,
ultimately voted in
favor of the punishment. After the vote, the UK's representative said
it
"seems heavy-handed."

Guinea,
on the other hand, in the run-up to the vote said that the punishment
should be
more harsh. India said that "the UN must respect each member state"
and the verdicts its courts reach. One wondered if Pakistan clearer
those
charged with involvement in the recent Mumbai bombings, if India would
respect
such a verdict.

While the U.S. belatedly spoke of due process, it
has in the past
bounced groups from the UN over the objections of other states. A game
of
chicken took place on Wednesday morning, with the US Mission, now under
Barack
Obama, Hilary Clinton and Susan Rice, seeming not to want to stand
alone in
voting no, or even to call for a vote. Sensing weakness, Egypt and Cuba
pointed
out that unless a member asked for a vote, it would be adopted by
consensus.
Ultimate the U.S. did call for a "recorded vote, for the record." The
US was informed that the roll call would do just as well. And then it
went 18
in favor, none against, and the lone abstention.

Footnote:
Debate moved on to a
Brazilian gay and lesbian group, which a number of states including
Qatar
implied is involved in pedophilia. The contrasts was marked, with the
same
states who opposed any delay in suspending Arab Commission on Human
Rights
asking for more and more information about the gay advocacy group, and
saying
no vote should be taken until all the questions were answered. And so
it goes
at the UN.